Across the Blue
A Novel
-
-
4.3 • 15 Ratings
-
-
- $5.99
Publisher Description
Set in Edwardian England and ideal for readers who enjoy Julie Klassen novels, this romance about an English aviation pioneer and the girl who falls in love with him is filled with adventure and faith.
Isabella Grayson, the eldest daughter of a wealthy, English newspaper magnate, longs to become a journalist, but her parents don't approve. They want her to marry well and help them gain a higher standing in society. After she writes an anonymous letter to the editor that impresses her father, her parents reluctantly agree she can write a series of articles about aviation and the race to fly across the English Channel, but only if she promises to accept a marriage proposal within the year. When James Drake, an aspiring aviator, crashes his flying machine at the Grayson's new estate, Bella is intrigued. James is determined to be the first to fly across the Channel and win the prize Mr. Grayson's newspaper is offering. He hopes it will help him secure a government contract to build airplanes and redeem a terrible family secret. James wants to win Bella's heart, but his background and lack of social standing make it unlikely her parents would approve. If he fails to achieve his dream, how will he win the love and respect he is seeking? Will Bella's faith and support help him find the strength and courage he needs when unexpected events turn their world upside down?
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Turansky (Waiting for His Return) soars to new heights in this fun Edwardian inspirational romance. Bella is the eldest daughter of Charles Grayson, the owner of three successful British newspapers who recently purchased a sprawling estate outside of London. While Bella was presented to society two years prior, she has yet to find a suitable marriage prospect, and now that she lives on the isolated estate she has turned her focus to convincing her father that she is a competent enough journalist to write for his newspapers. After crash landing a rudimentary flying machine he's been developing on the estate's grounds, James Drake meets Bella and is enraptured. Raised by aviation pioneer Thaddeus Steed after his mother's death, James dreams of becoming the first pilot to cross the English Channel, which he believes will allow him the entry into respectable society that has been denied him because of his unclear parentage. James ingratiates himself to the family, getting closer to Bella and seeking Grayson's support to compete in the race across the channel that his newspapers are sponsoring with a cash prize. When disaster strikes after James crashes again, his relationship with Bella deepens and faith bonds are strengthened. Turansky lands a perfectly pious but passionate ending for this pleasing 19th-century romance.
Customer Reviews
INSPIRATIONAL!
This is the first time I’ve read a book by Carrie Turansky but it definitely won’t be my last! Across the Blue is a historical fiction set in Edwardian England. Isabella Grayson is a woman ahead of her time. She desperately dreams of becoming a journalist and seeing some of her articles appear in one of the several newspapers her father owns. However, all her parents want is for her to find a suitable husband, marry, have a family and be the Lady of the Manor as she has been taught. Isabella is bored at the whole idea!
This is age when men like the Wright Bros. are inspiring others to learn about flight. Isabella is extremely interested in this as well. She is fortunate because her father’s Newspaper is interested in offering a Grand Prize to the first man to Fly Across the English Channel! Turansky offers a cast of delightful characters including aviator James Drake and a host of others. Turansky’s fabulous word pictures draw you in and you feel as though you are taking those first test flights with the pilots! You feel the shudders, hear the noises, hear and feel your heart beat and experience the exhilaration of the flights! This is a beautiful story of family, enduring friendships and love. I was provided an ARC by Waterbrook & Multnomah and NetGalley. The opinions expressed here are completely my own and without influence.
Lghudson, MS